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The balancing act of Wall Street and Main Street

Among the human body’s amazing feats is balancing an always-changing array of chemicals that bring us life but also have the potential to cause harm.

Phosphorous and calcium, for example, are locked in a particularly delicate dance. Too much phosphorous strips calcium away from bones; excess calcium, unrestrained by phosphorous, creates its own health risks.

Our financial system and economy is also dependent on the balance of many smaller parts. When one goes out of whack, another suffers.

Two main components keep things in check with their inherent tension. in one corner, we have “making money,” with capital formation, revenue, and corporate growth placed in that bucket. And in the other corner, we have investor protections and shareholder rights, intended to protect against abuse and oligarchy. Both forces must be in relative balance or we all suffer.